Discover the Wild: Top 9 Amazing and Fun Facts About Cougars You Never Knew!

1. Cougars: The Original Range Rovers

Cougars: the original Range Rovers of the animal kingdom, navigating all terrains from snowy slopes to swampy marshes with a license to thrill. The serious reveal: As top-notch terrestrial carnivores in the Western Hemisphere, they predominantly feast on smaller creatures like mule deer and javelinas, yet have recently fine-tuned their palate for elk in areas like Arizona's Grand Canyon, where nearly 70% of their kills on the South Rim have become elk-based delicacies.
Source => nwf.org

2. Dedicated Mama Cougars

Cougars: they're not just desperate housewives - they're dedicated mamas too! These fierce felines spend 18 to 24 months raising and training their young, ensuring they're well-equipped for the wild: But when mama cougars are hunted, their kittens are left orphaned and ill-prepared, highlighting the need for protective policies that safeguard these pawsome parent-child duos.
Source => cougarfund.org

Did you know mountain lions, also known as "ghosts of the Rockies," are masters of stealth and can take down prey up to ten times their size? But don't worry, they rarely pose a threat to humans! Discover more fascinating facts about these elusive felines.

=> Fun Facts about Mountain-Lions

3. Olympic-worthy Leaps

If cougars started their own Olympics, they'd out-jump every human athlete to the bus stop and back: These majestic felines can leap a whopping 40 feet horizontally – that's the length of a school bus – and jump up to 12 feet vertically, nearly reaching the ceiling of a two-story house, making them the envy of aspiring basketball players and expert hunters in their rocky habitats.
Source => reddit.com

4. Chirping Mountain Lions

If you ever find yourself on a wild goose chase, only to discover it's not a goose but a cougar making birdlike chirps, don't be flabbergasted: these magnificent cats, also known as mountain lions, can cover over 20 miles a day in search of food, use their vocal cords for a variety of sounds that can resemble birds, and even let out a spine-tingling scream during mating season. While spotting such creatures in the wild, hike in groups and never settle near a carcass or cubs, as these predators might just mistake you for their next meal!
Source => wildliferemoval.com

5. Stealthy Ninja Assassins

Cougars: nature's stealthy ninja assassins, taking down massive prey in a single swift strike – like Evel Knievel but with less leather and more fur: These feline daredevils boast a jaw-dropping ability to tackle animals up to eight times their size by delivering a well-aimed chomp to the base of the skull or throat, giving them a reputation in the animal kingdom as powerful and efficient predators.
Source => naturemappingfoundation.org

6. Furry Class Clowns

Who says big cats don't have a sense of humor? Cougars are secretly vying for the title of "Class Clown" in the animal kingdom with their antics of chasing invisible rats, accidentally auditioning for Cirque du Soleil, and playing paw-ful air guitar solos: Despite their tough reputation and solitary nature, researchers have observed these mountain lions engaging in playtime activities like chasing their tails, pouncing on imaginary prey, and leaping over obstacles, to keep them physically fit and mentally agile while refining their hunting prowess.
Source => crepuscularstuff.com

7. Mark Makers of the Wild

Move over, toilet paper, cougars are the original mark makers: These feline communication experts use scat, claw markings, and urine to demarcate their territories and signal their presence to others, ensuring smooth communication during mating season or providing protection for their young.
Source => mountainlion.org

8. Noble Cougar Casanovas

Move over, gallant knights, there's a new noble suitress in town: the male cougar! While these dashing Casanovas courteously woo multiple ladies during their romantic adventures, they're not your typical deadbeat dads. Instead, these feline Lotharios share brief rendezvous with their paramours, assisting in raising their cubs before waltzing off to secure a territory or charm another fair maiden: Male cougars may mate with multiple females and spend brief periods with their partner and offspring, but they must be wary, as they may view their own cubs as potential competition for resources.
Source => westernwildlife.org

9. Aquatic Kitty Prowlers

While some cats loathe dipping so much as a whisker into a droplet of water, cougars seem to have missed the "aquaphobic feline" memo and decided that their stealthy hunting skills needed a splash of marine artistry: These athletic cats are, in fact, skilled swimmers who confidently cross rivers and lakes as they prowl for their next meal.
Source => a-z-animals.com